Celebration of peanuts

PORTALES - Every fall the denizens of Portales and the surrounding communities hit the Roosevelt County Fairgrounds for a weekend of perusing arts and crafts vendors, listening to live music and snacking on a smorgasbord of peanut-based treats.

The 46th annual Peanut Valley Festival is slated to kick off Saturday (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and run through Sunday (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Admission is free and handicap parking will be available.

PVF is primarily an arts and crafts show, but takes its name from the local Valencia variety of peanut commonly used in candy and other confections.

"The event celebrates our history with the peanut. We've raised the crop for over 100 years in this area," said Karl Terry, executive director of the Roosevelt County Chamber of Commerce. "The Portales Womans Club has a booth that sells all kinds of peanuts - salted, unsalted, raw - as candy and all local products. It's also one of the biggest and best arts and crafts festivals in the whole region."

There will be roughly 100 vendors selling a variety of crafts, including jewelry, horse shoe art, Native American pottery, candles, cutlery, embroidered and engraved items, fine arts and more.

Crafts and snacks won't be the only attractions however. A whole weekend's worth of entertainment is planned as well.

This year's music lineup will feature Higher Ground and Colton Stevens playing Saturday, while Andy Mason and Michael Thompson and Friends play on Sunday.

A variety of activities and shows will fill out the weekend. The Baile Folklorico dancers of La Casita Elementary will perform on Saturday, followed by the Fusion World Dancers.

Other shows include Dance Studio Extreme, Wild Bill Cathey, ArchAngel K-9s and a Medieval Village from the re-enactors of the Blackwater Keep.

The Cultural Affairs Council will be holding a cornhole tournament at 9 a.m. on Saturday at $15 a person or $30 per team. Call 575-356-6662 for more information and signups.

Kid-friendly attractions include bounce houses, face painting, train rides and the Peanut Olympics organized by National Peanut Board. This year's Peanut Olympics will feature mascot Buddy McNutty working alongside the Portales High School Band with participants earning door prizes for competing. The Olympics are open to ages 4-8 and starts at 1 p.m. Saturday on the slab.

"The Peanut Olympics is an event that's really special. Parents will be taking pictures of their kids participating and share them for years to come," Terry said.

The PVF will also hold a health fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Pavilion on Saturday. Flu shots, blood draws, and screenings for speech and hearing will be available.

Events may be moved indoors pending weather conditions.

Information: Call the Portales Chamber of Commerce at 575-356-8541.